Batmobile
A short time into his crime fighting career, Batman started using a custom vehicle, designed specially for his missions. This vehicle was a blue roadster with no special capabilities. Not long after this, Batman redesigned the vehicle and adapted it into a super car. It was a modified, blue two-door sedan with scalloped vertical tailfins and a bat-shaped ornament protecting the front grille. This batmobile was also made of reinforced glass and steel and could withstand even the hardest crashes against other vehicles. Batman changed the design of the vehicle and included red stripes on the middle section on both sides of the vehicle. During a chase with the Joker, the Batmobile was extremely damaged after the criminal covered the vehicle with oil and set it on fire. To save their lives, Batman crashed the car against a fire hydrant. The water put out the fire, but the Batmobile was pretty much useless. Batman then had to use the spare Batmobile, which was a model of the previous version. Bruce decided to upgrade the Batmobile and included a television screen on the front board to enable a direct communication between the vehicle and the criminal profiles from the GCPD. The Batmobile was majorly upgraded after the first model was damaged beyond repair. The new Batmobile's chassis was extended and it featured a lengthened wheelbase, which provided a larger inner space, which was used to carry along equipment. The design was modernized and the vehicle featured various capabilities that weren't present in the previous version. Earth-One Most of the Earth-One Batmobiles were designed and built for Batman by stunt driver Jack Edison, who Batman had rescued from a flaming car wreck. Weapon systems and computer hardware were added by Batman. Post-Crisis The Batmobile was built as a vehicle that allows Batman to get around Gotham City in a faster way and it was Alfred who named it "Batmobile". In time, Batman has used many variations of the Batmobile depending on the needs of the situation. Some of the earliest versions of the Batmoile were sports cars, built for speed, with a flame propeller on the rear, a feature that has been standard for most of the vehicles. The car's structure was bulletproof and it was designed to withstand bombings and fire damage. The batmobile was also designed as a remote control vehicle, allowing the driver to control it from a safe distance. Batman used this capabilities to create a distraction among the ranks of The General. Some time later, Batman used the Batmobile's computer database to find Cornelius Stirk, who was on the loose after the Arkham breakout. Some versions of the Batmobile feature a bat-shaped emblem in the front of the car. This is a specially designed structure that can withstand great damage and can also be used as a battering ram. Batman used this feature to stop a van in which The Riddler was escaping with stolen money. Batman used the Batmobile's incorporated missile to destroy the powerful android Amazo. Robin convinced Batman to take out the new batmobile to test drive it. This version featured a more sport look with red windshields and windows. After chasing down a common criminal, the Batmobile passed the first test. Alfred would keep the vehicle clean after every mission, but after Damian Wayne rescued Alfred from the Black Glove, he used the Batmobile to reach Arkham Asylum. However, he couldn't arrive and instead he pushed an ambulance off a bridge, the same which was being driven by the Joker. Fortunately, the car didn't take any damage. When Nightwing was attacked in the Batcave by the League of Assassins, he used the Batmobile to attack them and defeated his opponents. Shortly after, Damian took the newest version of the Batmobile and picked up a girl friend in the city for a joyride. When Oracle located the vehicle, she took the control, ejected the girl out of the car and forced it to go towards Gotham Harbor. However, the vehicle was attacked by Killer Croc and Poison Ivy. Damian managed to get out of, but the car was damaged and sunk on a small lagoon. Damian was rescued by Nightwing and they left the vehicle behind. At some point, during Dick Grayson's time as Batman, he upgraded the Batmobile, so it could perform minor aereal moves, useful for tracking down escaping criminals. The New 52 'Other Versions' * Batman (60's TV Series): * Batman & Batman Returns: * Batman: The Animated Series: :* The Batmobile featured in this series was the second car owned by Batman after the first one reached its limits.The Mechanic :* Batman had the Batmobile designed after a vehicle he saw at the Gotham's World's Fair during a date with Andrea Beaumont.Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (Movie) :* It was destroyed twice by Penguin and Bane.Bane :* It featured a conceal mode, in which the car hides underneath a fake trash container.The Underdwellers * Batman Forever & Batman and Robin: * The Dark Knight Trilogy: | Capabilities = The Batmobile's diverse array of functions have varied with time. Each version of the car has been improved since the vehicle's creation. Following is a list of the Batmobile's capabilities by decade: * 1940's Batmobile :* The first roadster used by Batman had its tires coated with some special powder, which caused the tracks left behind to shine when exposed to infra-red light. :* Upon adapting his roadster into a true Batmobile, Batman also included compartments to hold equipment and also a closet to carry around some spare clothing. :* The tires of the car were made of some extra resistant material, which prevented them from being punctured by sharp objects. :* The car had a secret throttle which increased the engine's power, allowing the Batmobile to travel at high speeds. :* The car was constructed with a streamline design, which offers the least resistance to fluid flow. This helped the car reach higher speeds and prevent hurting people when crashing. * 1950's Batmobile :* The Batmobile was majorly upgraded for this decade and it featured new capabilities such as using jet tubes to jump over gaps, a large space for a mobile laboratory, a search light with the Bat-Signal engraved on it and the front Bat-Shield was upgraded to feature a knive-edge steel nose to cut through barriers. The windshield was replaced with a large plastic bubble, which provided the driver a better view of the outside. * 1960's Batmobile * 1970's Batmobile * 1980's Batmobile * 1990's Batmobile :* Flame propeller on the rear; bulletproof structure, impact resistant, fire resistant and remote control device. :* Incorporated computer with database and files from the Batcomputer. * 2000's Batmobile :* Remote control auto-pilot. Oracle is able to control the batmobile from the Watchtower to reach any location. This technology was later implemented on the Utility Belt. :* The batmobile's outfitted with Kevlar-reinforced tires filled with petroleum jelly; in the likeness of military armored cars. :* The batmobile is built to absorb and redistribute the shock of any impact. It also has an incorporated computer, radio, video and ejectable seats. * 2010's Batmobile :* The car was adapted to perform aereal maneuvers. :* Modern versions of the Batmobile are coated with titanium and the car still has the reactive armor, jet engine, onboard computer (which is capable of connecting the Batcave and Wayne businesses for multiple functions). :* The car can be triggered by a button on Batman's utility belt or in his gloves. :* Batman can also make the Batmobile self-destruct by remote control, in the event criminals capture the vehicle. | Weapons = Some versions of the Batmobile feature non-lethal weaponry as well as fire arms and explosives. Some of these weapons include: * Incorporated missiles | Equipment = * Radio transmitter and receiver capable of locating any radio band or frequency including police and criminal radios * Gas Masks * Television screen * Radar Screen, radar antenna on the tail fin and rocket tubes * Onboard computer located on the dashboard with a direct feed to the mainframe computer located in the Batcave | Notes = * Since his early appearances, Batman drove a red 1936 Cord with no special modifications, which was occasionally blue. Sometimes this vehicles were reffered to as "Batmobile", but it wasn't until that he actually designed the true Batmobile. * The original concept of the Batmobile was developed by writer Bill Finger, and illustrated by artist Bob Kane. Later design concepts were developed by various other artists and writers. Most notably among them are Joseph Samachson, Dick Sprang and many others. | Trivia = * The Batmobile made its first cover appearance with . | Links = * Detective Comics #718 * Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe II (Batmobile page) }} Mobile Category:1940 Item Debuts